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Monday, October 31, 2016

Puma shifter,
Del Santoni, has lived her entire life as the heir to a decades’ old feud with
the Armsford family—a struggle that ended in the death of her own father years
ago. Since then, both sides have done nothing but fight and grapple for social
power—and Del’s sick of it. She’s willing to do anything to end the war—even if
it means dethroning her own family.

Del begins a secret mission to recover the Maker’s Mark. If legend is true, its
symbols will reveal the name of the one true ruling family. When the statue is
found and someone threatens Del’s life in order to steal it, Del is forced to
accept the help and protection of her greatest enemy. He is the most stubborn,
infuriating werewolf she’s ever laid eyes on. He also happens to be her fated
mate. Throw in a sassy human car thief who won’t leave her alone, a marriage
hoax, and tattooed coyote shifters trying to kill her at every rest stop...if
she survives the week, it’ll be a miracle.

Wolf shifter Zak Armsford has never been accused of being a good guy – but
being good doesn’t get the job done. Mislabeled and misunderstood, he left Fort
Jericho years ago and joined the military to put his bad rep to good use. Now
that he’s a free man, he’s not exactly white collar material. So when his
friend from Shifters, Inc calls with a protection detail, Zak is just hungry
enough for some action to say yes.

Turns out his assignment offers plenty of action. Zak discovers he’s been hired
to protect the Princess of Fort Jericho herself. Del Santoni—his greatest enemy
and his childhood crush all in one. Zak can’t walk away a second time. To keep
Del alive and the statue safe, he’ll ruthlessly use his supernatural strength,
his connections, and Del’s own secrets against her.

On the run, Del struggles with the truth. Is Zak her Fated Mate – or her mortal
enemy? Because it’s not just Del’s heart that’s at risk – it’s her life.

STANDALONE Shifter Romance with a HEA!

This is a Shifters, Inc story. Read more Shifters, Inc books from Georgette St
Clair.

My Thoughts…

Shifters, a
decade old feud, and long time crushes…. Sounds like the perfect shifter
book. Holly Eastman including
everything a shifter book must have to be considered good in my opinion.

The feud
between Del and Zak’s families is so old that it is amazing that people still
remember what the feud is about. I love
Del’s determination to end the feud no matter what the outcome is. While she is the Princess of Fort Jericho
she is not afraid to fight for what she believes and do what needs to be done
to get the results she needs to put her world right again.

Zak, retired
military, is looking for something.
His life has not been easy and when Shifters, Inc. call him for a job he
never dreams it will lead him to his childhood crush and enemy. I like that he was strong and sure enough of
himself not to walk away from an uncomfortable situation and took his job
seriously.

The sparks
between these two, the attraction, is so obvious. There is no doubt that they belong
together. I was hopeful that they
would be able to get past their family feud and find a way to be together.

I love the
ending. Holly Eastman did an amazing
job with this shifter story and I cannot wait for more.

Friday, October 28, 2016

On 13 November
2015, Antoine Leiris’s wife, Hélène, was killed, along with 88 other people at
the Bataclan Theatre in Paris, when three men armed with guns and suicide bombs
opened fire on the unsuspecting crowd at a rock concert. Three days later,
Leiris, a young journalist, wrote an open letter on Facebook addressed to his
wife’s killers. Leiris refused to be cowed or to let his 17-month-old son’s
life be defined by Hélène’s murder. He refused to let the killers have their
way. ‘For as long as he lives, this little boy will insult you with his
happiness and freedom,’ he wrote. Instantly, that short Facebook post caught
fire. It was shared over two hundred thousand times and was reported on all
over the world. In his beautiful and moving defiance of the terrorists who had
killed his wife, Leiris became an international hero to everyone searching
desperately for a way to deal with the horror of the attacks.

You Will Not Have My Hateis an
extraordinary and heartbreaking memoir about how Leiris, and his baby son
Melvil, endured after Hélène’s murder. With courage, moral acuity, and absolute
emotional honesty, Leiris finds a way to answer the question, how can I go on?
This is the rare and unforgettable testimony of a survivor, and a universal
message of hope and resilience. Leiris is guiding star for us all in perilous
times.

My Thoughts…

Antoine Leiris
could have written this book in so many ways.
Instead of focusing on the horrific event of the Bataclan Theatre
bombings in Paris he took his story and spun it into a beautiful tale. You Will Not Have My Hate is the tale of a
husband and father having to figure out how to live life without the love of
his life by his side. He takes the
loss of his wife and the loss of his son’s mother and makes it into something
that made him stronger. Antoine
steps up, continues to live, and continues to make a happy existence for his
son.

The story is
not long, only 144 pages, yet there is such a punch to the story. My heart was tugged at, my mind was
tested, and my life was affected. I
stopped and thought about how my life could be changed if something happen to
my husband, what if something happen to me and he had to take over… it opened
my eyes to what those who lost someone have to do just to get through the
day.

This is an
inspiring story. I look up to Antoine
and I have never met him. Not everyone
can go through the loss of a spouse in the way he has and come out not full of
hate.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Welcome to Panic, a sultry Miami nightclub where bodies and
hearts move to a beat that doesn’t stop at sunrise—the setting for an
emotionally charged series from the bestselling author of the Worth the Fight
novels.

When Katherine Wilson passes out in the arms of the hottest man she’s ever
seen, it’s not because of the lights, the pulsating music, or the crowded dance
floor. It’s because she can’t enjoy a night out like a normal person, not with
her debilitating anxieties. These panic attacks are going to destroy her life
unless she takes control—or gets a helping hand. So after the club’s bad-boy
owner personally escorts her home, Katherine feels something urgent and primal
awaken inside of her.

Nick Moreno doesn’t need a headache like Katherine. A drug bust has put his
father behind bars and forced Nick to take over the daily business of his
family’s South Beach nightclub. His head tells him to walk away—but his body
has other ideas. Katherine’s vulnerability, her grace and courage, compel him to
reach out. And when they kiss, Nick is overcome by desire: to pull her close,
and promise that his embrace will always be the safest place on earth.

My Thoughts…

PTSD is not an
easy topic. Sidney Halston took this
tough subject and made it something that should be discussed, should not be
hidden, and should be something considered serious. I have huge respect for Sidney Halston and
her grace in handling PTSD.

Katherine has
PTSD. It is debilitating for her. She is a character that I wanted to
protect, coddle, and support. As I got
to know her better I realized that is exactly what she didn’t need. She needed someone to stand up to her, push
her, and accept her for what she has to offer. This is where Nico comes in.

Nico has been
burned from his past relationship with a drug addict. What he doesn’t need is another needy, lying
woman which is exactly what he thinks Katherine is. Until he trusts his gut and follows his
heart. He learns that there is more to
her then meets his eyes. First
impressions are not always correct.
While I think Nico is great, perfect, wonderful for Katherine I also
think Katherine is all that and more for Nico. He needs someone to love him as he is
also.

I have to
mention that there are two earth shattering world events mentioned in this
story. Both these events are true, well
known, and horrific. Yet, in this story
they are not made light of, they are used to show how some events can affect
people in horrible ways and how these same people can overcome their fears to
be able to live “normal” lives again.

This is not an
easy read but it is a worthwhile and wonderful read. This story is real, truthful, and
heartbreaking. It is also uplifting to
see how people who struggle can get the help they need to be able to live
again.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

The #1 New York
Times bestselling author and the Edgar Award winning author are back with a new
a new novel featuring Kendra Michaels—hired gun for both the CIA and FBI.

Born blind, Kendra Michaels spent the first twenty years of her life living in
the darkness. Then, thanks to a revolutionary medical procedure developed by
England’s Night Watch Project, she was given the gift of sight. Her
highly-developed senses (honed during her years in the dark), combined with her
new found vision, have made her a remarkable investigator, sought after by
law-enforcement agencies all over the country. But her newest case finds her
uncovering a deadly truth about the shadowy organization that has given her so
much.

Kendra is surprised when she is visited by Dr. Charles Waldridge, the
researcher who gave her sight. But all is not well with the brilliant surgeon;
he’s troubled by something he can’t discuss with Kendra. When Waldridge
disappears that very night, Kendra is on the case, recruiting government
agent-for-hire Adam Lynch to join her on a trail that leads to the snow-packed
California mountains. There they make a gruesome discovery: the corpse of one
of Dr. Waldridge’s associates, brutally murdered in the freezing snow. But it’s
only the first casualty in a white-knuckle confrontation with a deadly enemy
who will push Kendra to the limits of her abilities. Soon she must fight for
her very survival as she tries to stop the killing… and unearth the deadly
secret of Night Watch.

My Thoughts…

Night Watch is
my first Kendra Michaels book but definitely not my last. I picked it up hoping for a good thriller
with some twists and that is exactly what I got. This is a quick paced murder mystery with a
little bit of a sci-fi thrown in for fun.
The idea that stem cell can be used to fix the blind is a wonderful
medical wish and I liked that it was portrayed in such a way that it didn’t
seem unrealistic.

Kendra Michaels
is an interesting character. Due to her
blindness her other sense are heightened causing her views and observations of
things to not be “normal.” I have heard
that when you lose a sense (sight, hearing, taste) other senses step up and
take over, Night Watch just took that to another level. It was interesting to see Kendra interact
with other characters. The FBI was
involved along with other official departments and she was strong enough to
stand up for herself and the job she was doing without seeming
standoffish. She was determined, smart,
and willing to do anything for the people who were important to her.

The small
romance part of the story is Kendra and Lynch. While it is obvious there is an attraction
between the two their romance is not the main storyline. It was fun to see them circle each other,
push each other, and pull at each other while keeping each other at arm’s length. I am interested to see where this will head
and how long it will take them to get there.

I am an Iris
Johansen fan and am now a Roy Johansen fan.
The rest of this series is on my MUST READ list. I recommend checking it out for yourself.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

A lush and gorgeous guide to all things food and entertaining
fromNew York Timesbestselling author Jane Green.Jane Green’s life has always revolved around her kitchen...

... from inviting over friends for an impromptu brunch; to wowing guests with
delicious new recipes; to making sure her ever-on-the-move family makes time to
sit down together. For Jane, food is enjoyable because of the people
surrounding it and the pleasures of hosting and nourishing those she cares
about, body and soul.

Now, Jane opens wide the doors of her stunning home to share tips on
entertaining, ideas for making any gathering a cozy yet classy affair, and some
of her favorite dishes, ranging from tempting hors d’oeuvres like Sweet Corn
and Chili Soup, to mouthwatering one-pot mains like Slow-Braised Onion Chicken,
to sinfully satisfying desserts like Warm Chocolate and Banana Cake.

This book is Jane’s perfect recipe for making a wonderful life complete with
friends, loving family, and moments filled with good food, good times, and, of
course,Good Taste.

My Thoughts…

I am not a fan
of “celebrity” cookbooks as I find they usually call for ingredients that are
not easily found or affordable for the “normal” person yet with Jane Green’s Good
Taste Cookbook I found myself wanting and being able to cook every recipe. My family, especially my children, are very
picky and there were so many recipes that they enjoyed or would enjoy when I
finally tried them out.

While checking
out the recipes I felt like I was getting a glimpse into Jane Green’s
life. The stories between the recipes shared the
why’s of the recipes. The reasoning
behind why she is sharing the recipes that she is.

The step by
step directions showed how meticulous she is.
They were easy to follow and made total sense. Even the non-cooker/baker will find recipes
in this book that will temp them to try their hand at a new meal idea. This book is perfect for the experienced
chef/baker or the stay at home cooking for the family cook.

Two motorcycle clubs, two different reasons for being, and one lifestyle find each other together.– Devil’s Due MC –
Respect is earned, never freely given.
Our road is a path for justice. Nomads always on the open highway, we follow the trail, no matter where it leads, everyone be damned.
– Vipers Creed MC –
Respect is hard earned.
Live by the creed, die by the creed. If you aren’t with us, you’re against us. If you step into our world, your balls better be big and your cock even bigger.
Brothers, bikes, and bitches collide. Respect is everything.
When two clubs cross over into each other’s worlds, only madness, mayhem, vengeance, and heat can possibly ensue.

My Thoughts…

I am torn on this book.
Being a HUGE fan of Chelsea Camaron and her Devil’s Due MC Series but
this book was different. I felt like
each chapter was its own story. The
characters were found in each chapter but it was disconnected to me. I wanted an entire prequel story not broken
chapters. I am not familiar with Ryan
Michele’s Viper Creed MC but the chapters were written in similar style.

All of that being said I’d be interested to continue with
each of these series as I know that In the Red, book one of the Chelsea
Camaron’s Devil’s Due MC , is written in
a style that seemed to flow better to me.
I love a good MC book. The moody
men, tough bikers, and wonderful storylines are something that are always
enjoyable.

This is a short and quick read. I think it can be read as a prequel but may
be more of a read after you have read a few of the books in this series. It is a good glimpse into the members of the
different biker clubs.

USA Today bestselling author Chelsea Camaron is a small town Carolina girl with a big imagination. She’s a wife and mom, chasing her dreams. She writes contemporary romance, erotic suspense, and psychological thrillers. She loves to write about blue-collar men who have real problems with a fictional twist. From mechanics to bikers to oil riggers to smokejumpers, bar owners, and beyond she loves a strong hero who works hard and plays harder.

Ryan Michele found her passion in making fictional characters come to life. She loves being in an imaginative world where anything is possible and has a knack for special twists readers don’t see coming.

She writes MC, Contemporary, Erotic, Paranormal, New Adult, Inspirational, and many more romances. And whether it’s bikers, wolf shifters, mafia, or beyond, Ryan spends her time making sure her heroes are strong and her heroines match them at every turn.

When she isn’t writing, Ryan is a mom and wife living in rural Illinois and reading by her pond in the warm sun.

About Me

I am an avid book reader and have my own book blog A Soccer Mom's Book Blog. I read almost anything but find myself leaning towards romance, women's fiction, paranormal, and historical fiction. Please contact me if you have a story you believe I would enjoy.